On February 13, 2014, Paul Stucker of Scott County was found guilty of the murder of Johnny Hodge in a LaPorte County Courtroom in Michigan City, Indiana. This murder was committed in 1983 at the Indiana State Prison located in Michigan City, Indiana. The motive for the murder is not clear but, Paul Stucker was found guilty of throwing several gallons of a liquid accelerant onto Hodge who was in a locked cell causing him to be burnt alive.

In 2005, the Indiana State Police received information that Stucker was involved in Hodge’s murder and the case was reopened. All parties in the case were re-interviewed and all evidence in the case was re-examined. In 2012 enough evidence was gained for Paul Stucker to be arrested.

This case could not have been solved without the aid of local citizens coming forward with information about the crime. State Police Detectives were also assisted in this case by local law enforcement agencies in both Scott and Washington Counties and the federal agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

A sentencing hearing has been set for February 27, 2014 at the LaPorte County Courthouse in Michigan City, Indiana.